Matovic: Fico Doubles his Own Salary (2)

Bratislava, February 6 (TASR) - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has awarded himself a 96-percent salary hike, with his monthly salary set to increase from €4,895 to €9,572, 'Slovakia' leader Igor Matovic declared at a press conference on Tuesday. "You won't find any other prime minister in Europe, who would almost double his own salary," stated Matovic, pointing to unfulfilled promises of the incumbent government such as cheaper food and energy prices. Julius Jakab ('Slovakia' party), who sits on the House Finance and Budget Committee, detailed that rank-and-file government ministers will get a new net salary of €7,261 monthly, the vice-premier €8,106 and the prime minister €9,572. 'Slovakia' party took potshots at the way the government has hiked salaries of its members, via higher bonuses that they receive along with their salaries. Veronika Remisova ('Slovakia'-For the People-Christian Union) pointed out that the government has circumvented the constitutional law this way, as neither taxes nor levies are paid on these bonuses. The government's approach received criticism also from Progressive Slovakia (PS) leader and House Vice-chair Michal Simecka. "The fashion in which Fico is increasing his own salary and those of his ministers via bonuses is disgraceful and a circumvention of the law. We're not populists and we won't criticise these sums. It's really not right to have lawmakers earn higher income than members of the government and the Prime Minister," said Simecka, adding that the cabinet, however, must respect the law. In Simecka's view, all Fico cares about are his "own people". Earlier in the day, the government approved a motion tabled by Fico to calculate bonuses to its members' salaries in a new way. Previously, the bonuses had fixed sums, now they will be calculated as multiples of average national wages. mf/mcs